Lum.

No, not a typo...
-lum: from the Latin "lux," meaning light.

  Luminous. Illuminate.  Luminescence. Luminary.          ...Etcetera.

I was thinking about lights just now... how we're called to "Let [our] light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16).

Here's the glorious thing: lights must be ignited. Candles must be lit. On their own, they simply sit.

"Let your light so shine...." My light? I'm just a wick!

...so was John:

"(6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (7) This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. (8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. (9) That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world."
John 1:6-9

"Let your light so shine...." My light? Oh....you mean....Him! My light! He whose word is the light unto my path!

Silly self, trying so often to kindle your own light, and ending up only with pitiful smoke, when the light of the world was waiting to fill you, to shine through you, to illuminate.

"If my fire is not large it is yet real, and there may be those who can light their candle at its flame." -A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

"...it is yet real..."   
Luminosity is Him in us, Him through us. Beautiful light.
         Real light.
                    Let's shine.




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Stop Striving

“You’re big!”

The little voice shrieked delight, pointing at my shadow, which yawned a long, looming path before us.

“You’re right,” I said to the little one. “That’s my shadow; that’s what happens when the sun is right behind us- it makes our shadows so, so tall!”

And then it hit me, on that simple summer walk—He is theLight of the world. Just as the dipping sun can stretch my shadow five times my actual height, He can reach far beyond the feeble places that even my greatest strivings -- in my own strength -- could reach.

Sometimes, He calls us to do things we don’t understand. “But I’m just one person,” we think. “What difference will that make?”

or

“Why would anyone listen to me?”

or

“What you’re putting on my heart doesn’t make sense. There is no humanly possible way I can do it.”

Well, that’s the long and short of it right there. That’s exactly the point. It’s not supposed to be humanly possible.

All we need to do is...

Be faithful. Be there. Trust.

Trust that He is mightier, and that He knows what He is about. Trust that He can reach the places we cannot, open doors we cannot, strengthen, soften, heal and work in ways that we cannot.

 It is only when we grasp—or even attempt to grasp--   “…how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,”

  

 And only when we remember that He “who has calls you is faithful and He will do it,”

that we can we begin to fathom, in our wildest dreams, “how wide and long and high and deep” he can take us, use us, make a difference through us.

He is the light. We need only be where he’s asked us to be, do what he’s asked us to do, and He will reach the length he wants to reach.

And if that length is one person? One single soul?

Then that is perfect. That is an amazing length. For he paid all for that very one. He orchestrated this moment for that one.  

And if that length is thousands?

Then that is perfect, too. He paid all for each and every one.

And if that length is...you? Grasp hold of that, too, for you are His Beloved, and He gave all for you.

So as we go out to take that single first step toward what looks impossible, let’s remember:

“The Lord will fight for you today; you need only to be still.” Just be there, right where He’s put you, and listen. He’ll show you what’s next. He’ll shine, He’ll reach exactly the lengths he needs to.  Let your strivings and stretchings and contortions and stress and burdens cease.

It’s Him. He’ll do the work. We need only be still, be available.

And  then, when someone stops and points and declares “You’re big!!” You can smile and say, in all honesty, “It’s Him. It’s the light.”

**For more on this subject, see these posts from days gone by: Lum and  Is Anything Impossible? **

**Tune in for this Friday’s “Better Than Fiction: Real Historical Romance Tales”. The talented Hillari Delgado will be our special guest, and the story she has to share is one you won’t want to miss! ** 

** I have a brand new commenting system-- please forgive any hiccups you may encounter if you want to chime in below.  {For me, it's working in Chrome but not Internet Explorer right now. (??? Wierd.} Anyhow, I'd love to hear from you!**

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